Archives: PPC News

On a number of previous occasions, the parish council has investigated whether there is a sufficient volume of local residents for whom speeding through the village is a concern, and whom are willing to volunteer to join a Community Speedwatch project. Historically, few volunteers have come forward, and a scheme has not been able to be implemented. As part of Westfield Road has now been adopted, so could be included within any scheme, we are once again gauging if any residents would wish to participate.

What is Community Speedwatch, what is involved, and how much time would you need to commit?

The parish council would loan the camera kit from Buckinghamshire Council Community Board. The kit contains: hi-vis and jackets, signs for the road, the camera, tripod and ancillaries. The camera is set up at the side of the road, facing oncoming traffic, in locations that have been previously assessed and approved by Thames Valley Police and Buckinghamshire Council. Two large community speedwatch signs are placed 20-50 metres from camera point (and locations would be agreed by TVP/BC as part of the review process). The camera is calibrated to catch speeders 150 metres up the road, there is a 20% allowance on the speed. For example, in a 30mph zone, vehicles exceeding 36 mph will be recorded.

You need a minimum of 2 (and maximum of 4) volunteers to set up and carry out the Speedwatch each time it is operational. Recommended duration of the camera is up to 2 hours at the site (so you would need to be available for 2.5-3 hours to include setting up and packing away the equipment). The volunteers then need approximately the same amount of time again (ie 2 hours) to process the data and submit it (online) to Thames Valley Police within the subsequent 48 hours.

Whilst monitoring the traffic, for each speeding vehicle detected, the volunteers need to fill in the data sheet, recording the following information:

• Registration number
• Speed
• Vehicle Colour
• Make
• Model
• Offence Time
• Comments

Every volunteer would also need to attend a training session on how to use the
camera, the set up, understanding the risk assessments, and protection of personal data, before joining the scheme. TVP insurance covers volunteers whilst you are volunteering by the roadside.

What do Thames Valley Police (TVP) do with the information?

When the information is passed to TVP an initial letter is sent to the driver informing them that they have been captured speeding. If they are caught again within three months, a second letter is sent, if they are caught again within 6 months, the driver is visited by TVP. Offenders do not receive fines or points on their licence, as they would if captured via TVP operated speed traps or official cameras. Speedwatch has now been made a national scheme, instead of a series of local schemes, so if you are caught by a Community Speedwatch team in Dundee one week and again by a Speedwatch team in Pitstone the next month, it will still count as a second offence.

• 1st letter – 3 months
• 2nd letter – 6 months
• 3rd letter hand delivered by police

What is the aim of Community Speedwatch?

The aim of the Community Speedwatch is to educate drivers about the dangers of speeding in the location they were caught.

If enough volunteers come forward, how will the parish council support the scheme and what would it need to do next?

• We would need to work with Thames Valley Police and Buckinghamshire Council to identify locations on our through roads that would meet their criteria and be approved.
• Arrange suitable training for all volunteers.
• Arrange to be included in the schedule of loan equipment.
• Agree participation in the scheme with the TVP data processing team based in Amersham.
• Arrange safe storage for the equipment when not in use, and collection/return facilities/process for the volunteers.
• Purchase the necessary dedicated laptop, with encryption, to keep Speedwatch data separate from other data.
• Put in place all the necessary measures to ensure compliance to GDPR re the storage and wiping of the data collected.

More information about Community Speedwatch can be found here: https://communityspeedwatch.org/FRONT-v2-Home.php

How do you register an interest in volunteering for this scheme?

If you would like to register your interest in volunteering for such a Community Speedwatch scheme, and can commit to the above hours, please email your contact details and any other relevant information to: parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk by the 15 August 2022 (which enables this information to be printed in the next edition of PPP and hand delivered to every home and business in Pitstone so we can make sure that everyone has been reached).

The parish council can then review the level of interest to see whether a Community Speedwatch scheme is important to our residents and viable to operate.

The parish council offers grants to local community groups and local charities that specifically benefit Pitstone residents.  Applications are considered quarterly.   The next opportunity for grants to be considered is coming up next month on 28 July 2022.

Some of our most recent recipients include Windmill Pre School for outdoor play equipment, Pitstone Memorial Hall Charity to fix their roof and South Central Ambulance for a further dedicated kit for our Community First Responders.

Please see the grant policy on this web site (http://pitstone.co.uk/ppcinfo/grant-policy/ ) for further information or contact the parish clerk.

Applications must be received at least 10 days ahead of the meeting date so that the information can be circulated to all members ahead of the meeting and your application can be advertised on our agenda.

This week is National Volunteers Week.

We have over 100 people in the parish that volunteer with the parish council, in a wide variety of roles, including:

• driving residents to their hospital and doctor appointments
• helping supervise the youth cafe
• editing, distributing and delivering Pitstone Parish Post
• running the allotment site
• monitoring street lighting
• helping with the fibre broadband project
• sitting on the sports and leisure committee
• helping with major development projects like the skatepark
• even your parish councillors are volunteers!

There is also a hidden army of volunteers that support other groups within the community eg the school, preschool, scouting, guiding, the museum, the watermill, the windmill, the football clubs (senior and junior), the cricket club, the memorial hall, the over 60’s, the WI etc etc.

We send a massive thank you to each and every one of you, you make our village the wonderful place to live and work that it is.

If you are interested in putting back into your community, do get in touch, there is bound to be the ideal role for you.

Queen’s Green Canopy

If you haven’t yet pledged to plant a tree, you can find out more information and sign up via this link: https://queensgreencanopy.org/

Platinum Room

In honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, and as a lasting memorial, the function room at the Pavilion has been renamed The Platinum Room and a commemorative plaque is being erected.

Yarn bombing

Our thanks to the Ivinghoe and Pitstone Women’s Institute for the knitted village decorations in both Pitstone and Ivinghoe.

Street parties and community events

Buckinghamshire Council waived the temporary street closure fee for Jubilee street parties over the Bank Holiday weekend and more than 90 groups have taken advantage of this offer. We know that many of you are planning to get together with friends and neighbours and we hope that you all enjoy your celebrations.

There are many community events taking place across the county, from Big Lunches to parties, many of which are listed on the BC events directory available here: online directory.

Jubilee activities

Jubilee activity packs are available to download from via this link. These have also been sent out to schools and care homes.

A Jubilee resource pack from Learning and Sharing Together is also available with ideas for celebrating with different generations.

Celebrate the Jubilee with Buckinghamshire Libraries

Buckinghamshire libraries are also offering an array of diverse and interesting Jubilee events from talks with a town crier and a former royal footman to commemorative pebble painting and crafts galore for children, there are over 60 planned events in Buckinghamshire libraries for residents and visitors to enjoy.

Discover what’s on for the Jubilee in your local library.

Buckinghamshire Archives Jubilee Exhibition

In addition to the above events, Buckinghamshire Libraries are delighted to be hosting a pop-up exhibition by Buckinghamshire Archives demonstrating how the county has celebrated past Jubilees.

The exhibition will be travelling around Buckinghamshire Libraries on these dates:

• 16 May to 7 June – High Wycombe Library and Princes Risborough Library
• 9 June to 22 June – Marlow Library and Aylesbury Library
• 24 June to 16 July – Amersham Library and Buckingham Library

Bernwood Jubilee Trail

Buckinghamshire Council has revitalised the historic Bernwood Jubilee Trail, a 61-mile walking and cycling route which circles the former Royal Hunting Forest of Henry II.

The trail, which runs through 31 parishes, is a beautiful path through woods, meadows and wildflower fields, with magnificent views and rare native flora and fauna as well as butterflies, birds and wildlife.

We’ve produced ten new walking and cycling maps for the trail, to enable people to explore the beautiful Buckinghamshire countryside.

Click here to download the maps.

Lord Lieutenant’s Service of Thanksgiving

Lord Lieutenant for Buckinghamshire, Countess Howe, hosted a Service of Thanksgiving for HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee at All Saints Parish Church in High Wycombe on Sunday 29 May. Attendance at the service was by invitation only, but everyone is invited to watch the recording of the service.

We hope you are enjoying your school half term holiday.

If you are looking for something to keep the children active for a while, and you haven’t yet entered, why not get them to design a poster for our Keep Pitstone Tidy competition? The winning entries will be converted into signs and displayed around our open spaces and the village.

Each winning entrant will also be awarded a copy of their sign and a certificate.

Click this link to upload your artwork or find out more information: https://pitstone.co.uk/keeppitstonetidy2022/

We are sad to report that a group of 5 or 6 ‘young’ teenagers (approx 13-14 years) decided to attack the Hurst Path noticeboard on Saturday evening and completely bring it to the floor. Our contractor attended on Sunday to remove the board and make the area safe. This criminal damage has been reported to Thames Valley Police who will be investigating. If you reside in one of the properties overlooking this footpath/play area and also witnessed anything and/or have CCTV footage (approx 8-8.40pm Saturday evening) please contact Thames Valley Police. Our apologies to the residents that normally rely on this noticeboard, it will be reinstated once we have sourced suitable replacement parts and carried out the necessary repairs.

Also sad to see that the memorial bench, dedicated to the Morris family, in the Hever Close playground, has been graffiti’d. Staff will be attending to try and remove this graffiti.

Buckinghamshire Council has adopted a section of Westfield Road, including the section near the revised road layout, so they have now been able to arrange for the installation of the pneumatic speed monitoring strips to check that the new infrastructure is having the desired impact. The strips are currently scheduled for installation this week.

Taylor Wimpey has not yet completed the remainder of the remedial works in phases 1-4 of Castlemead, so these have not yet been adopted and remain under the care/maintenance of Taylor Wimpey.

Remedials for the business park and Phase 5 of Castlemead will start to be scoped after the final completion of phases 1-4.

Please note that following vandalism/misuse, the bike springer in the toddlers section of the playground by the recreation ground, has sadly been broken.

The unit has been removed and the site made safe. Spare parts are on order and the bike will be returned in due course.

We apologise to the younger members of the parish who may miss this feature in the meantime.

ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT OUR VILLAGE?

WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN PITSTONE PARISH COUNCIL? 

Following the resignation of Councillor Kirk (due to a change in personal circumstances) we have one vacant seat on the parish council.  Please find below the official Notice of Vacancy. Unless 10 electors request a by-election within 14 working days, the parish council will fill this vacancy via co-option at the 26 May 2022 annual parish council meeting.

The new member will serve out the remaining term of office until the next election.

The corporate body of the parish council also acts as Sole Trustee to two local charities.

Initial information about the role of parish councillors, and charity trustees, is available on our website www.pitstone.co.uk.

If you are interested in joining us, have plenty of spare time (an average of 3 hours per week) to volunteer (councillors receive no wages or allowances), and are passionate about the village we live in, please contact the parish council for a full information pack as soon as possible to ensure you have plenty of time to read through all the materials.

Applications for co-option should be submitted by email to parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk by close of:

THURSDAY 24 MAY 2022

If a by-election has been called, we will advise you accordingly.

If you are interested in calling for a by-election, please see the information in the attached notice and replicated below:

PITSTONE PARISH COUNCIL

Local Government Act 1972- Sections 87 and 89

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that due to the resignation of Councillor Alistair Kirk (due to a change in personal circumstances) a casual vacancy has arisen in the Office of Parish Councillor for Pitstone Parish Council.

If by 24 May 2021 (within 14 days excluding Dies Non after the date of this notice) a request for an election to fill the vacancy is made in writing to the Returning Officer, Buckinghamshire Council, The Gateway, Gatehouse Road, Aylesbury, Bucks HP19 8FF or via email to elections@buckinghamshire.gov.uk** by TEN electors for the Parish, then an election will be held to fill the vacancy, otherwise the vacancy will be filled by co-option.

Dated: 3 May 2022

Signed: Laurie Eagling, Parish Clerk

Pitstone Parish Council, Pitstone Pavilion, Marsworth Road, Pitstone, Beds, LU7 9AP

** Residents of the parish who wish to request an election must include their names, addressses and a signature and if using the email address we recommend a scanned copy.

Just a reminder that youth cafe starts back this week (6.30-8pm at Pitstone Pavilion) and we also look forward to welcoming the year 6 intake.

In the recent past both Ivinghoe and Pitstone Parish Councils separately engaged Ben Hamilton Baillee Associates to draw up a concept safety scheme for the individual villages to enable both pedestrians and road traffic to coalesce safely together within the villages.

Both Parish Councils have been busy behind the scenes in progressing this concept with Buckinghamshire Council and Transport for Bucks as the highways authority. As a result the two separate schemes are now known as the Ivinghoe and Pitstone Safety Scheme.

After many different surveys, concept designs, etc we are now at a point where both phase 1 and phase 2 can now be implemented. Both of these phases were chosen for early implementation as they have a direct effect on the younger members of our villages.

Phase 1 – Station Road, Ivinghoe

Phase 2 – Brookmead School

Many of you will have seen the resurfacing work that has taken place recently along Station Road by the junctions with Maud Janes Close and Ladysmith Road as well as outside Brookmead School. This work was in preparation for the implementation of these two phases of the Safety Scheme.

Diagrams of the two phases can be viewed at the library in Ivinghoe. Alternatively you can view the Station Road proposals here:

and the Brookmead proposals here:

Any comments about the schemes can be sent to the following

• By email to parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk.
• By post to Pitstone Parish Council, Pitstone Pavilion, Marsworth Road, Pitstone, Beds, LU7 9AP.
• In person, simply drop your comments into the BLACK post box in the foyer of the Town Hall.

Phase 1 – Station Road, Ivinghoe

The design concepts here are:

To provide a ‘safety zone’ to enable a safer crossing point for children attending Brookmead School and also to provide additional parking for residents and the dropping off and picking up of children from Brookmead School.

The scheme incorporates:

• A new crossing point in a slightly different location to the existing one.
• 2 new informal roundabouts
• New signage both on the road and on the road side
• Early warning markers when approaching from Great Gap/Ford End
• A ‘grasscrete’ parking bay for 5 vehicles (time limited parking during day time hours)
• A footpath from the parking bays to connect with the existing footpath to Brookmead School
• Anti-skid road surfacing
• New tree planting to increase bio-diversity

It is envisaged that motorists will have plenty of early warning on the approach to the safety zone, with the informal roundabouts slowing the traffic further on the approach to the crossing point.

Ivinghoe Parish Council have already consulted with local residents on the initial drawings for this scheme and residents views have been taken into account with this latest design.

It is currently planned for the work to be completed during the school summer holidays in late July/August.

Phase 2 – Brookmead School

The design concepts here are:

To provide a more visible presence to motorists that they are within a school zone.

The scheme incorporates:

• Red anti-skid tarmac surface across the whole school zone
• Buff coloured anti-skid tarmac for the bus stop area
• Road markings to give the appearance that the road is narrower
• ‘Pencil’ bollards in various colours (see picture) to highlight both the school and children’s presence
• Treatment of the verge opposite to increase sight lines for motorists
• Additional road markings on the approach to the area
• Definitive road markings to delineate the end of the roadway along the side of the brook.

It was envisaged that the speed limit would be reduced to 20mph along this stretch of the road, but we have not been given permission yet to enable this to happen. We will be actively pursuing this to be implemented at a later date, if funding is available.

This phase of the Safety Scheme is partly within Pitstone and partly within Ivinghoe and as such both Parish Councils have had an input in its design. Brookmead School has also been consulted.

Some works are due to start late April/early May with the anti-skid surfacing going down. Full completion is expected during the school summer holidays.

Issued on behalf of Ivinghoe & Pitstone Parish Councils and Buckinghamshire Council.

Sadly a number of locations have been tagged with graffiti over the weekend. We’ve been able to remove the vandalism from our noticeboards but the skate park will take us a little longer, please bear with us. All instances have been reported to Thames Valley Police.

Hedgehogs are in decline in Britain and are now listed as “Vulnerable” on Britain’s red list of mammals. According to the latest State of Britain’s hedgehogs report, numbers of hedgehogs have fallen by up to 30% in urban areas and 50% in rural areas since the Millennium.

There are a number of ways that you can help. One of the best things you can do for the local Hedgehog population is allow them access in and out of your garden. A 12cm x 12cm hole is all they need. Encourage neighbours to do the same.  Why not frame your access hole with one of our Hedgehog Highways!

This gap allows hedgehogs to:

   * Forage for food 

   * Meet mates to breed

   * Access nesting sites

Why should I get a Hedgehog Highway Surround?

1. You must admit, they look super cute!

2.  They raise awareness to hedgehogs’ struggle for survival 

3. They create a talking point, encouraging others to create a highway of their own and take part in the project

4. Hedgehogs R Us donate money from all the units the parish council buys to help the rescue of sick and injured hedgehogs

You can order your hedgehog highway surround (£5 each) from the parish council. You’ll receive your surround and a leaflet giving details of how to help the hedgehogs. You can arrange collection or we can deliver (Pitstone only). Payment accepted via cash or bacs transfer. Please contact us on:

• Telephone: 01296767261
• Email: parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk
• Send us a message via our social media channels
• Pop in to one of our meetings at the pavilion, or call round to 9 Warwick Road, to buy direct (cash only)

There is lots of other advice on how to make your garden hedgehog friendly, on the Hedgehogs R Us webpage, including:

• creating wildflower areas
• making your pond safe
• keeping your garden netting and rubbish free
• stop using chemicals
• put out suitable food and water
• providing a hedgehog house and
• checking before you strim

Link available here: https://hedgehogsrus.co.uk/helping-hedgehogs

Just a reminder that the youth cafe is closed for the Easter holidays. No sessions on 13th or 20th April.

We look forward to seeing you all, and the new year 6 attendees, after the Easter holidays.

Weather permitting, we hope to host a skatepark event this Saturday, 23 April 2022, from 2-4pm at the skatepark.

If the park is wet, it isn’t safe to skate, so the event will be postponed. Check back here for details.

Never skated? Want to learn how to improve? We’ll have qualified & DBS checked tutors on site to run sessions for beginners, improvers, or do a girls only session. Please check in to the registration desk when you arrive and chat to our hosts about what you need, and we’ll try and tailor the sessions to those that attend.

Not got any equipment? We have a small number of scooters, skateboards and safety equipment that we can loan to you whilst you have your lesson. However, if you have your own gear, please bring it along.

Already an expert skater? You are welcome to also come along to the event, but please be aware that some of the park may not be available for general use when we are running lessons.

Make sure you collect your freebies from the registration desk when you arrive (while stocks last). There will also be competitions running throughout the afternoon with some Vans merchandise up for grabs (the competitions will be tailored to the people at the event). No need to pre-book.

• Refreshments will be available at CuriosiTea – including hot & cold drinks, cakes, snacks, hot food and ice creams.

• Toilets will be available at Pitstone Memorial Hall.

Whenever you are at our site:

• Please remember that there are neighbours and a children’s playground close by.
• Please set a good example and make sure your language and behaviour is appropriate for small children to overhear / see.
• Please be respectful of other skatepark and recreation ground users at all times.
• Please dispose of all litter in a bin.
• We recommend you keep hydrated. Please bring your water bottles/refreshments. If you need to purchase refreshments, the nearest locations are : CuriosiTea cafe situated at the end of Pitstone Memorial Hall, or Masons store on Marsworth Road.
• Please note that there are no public toilets in Pitstone.
• If you subsequently visit our skatepark during an evening, please ‘quiet skate’ after 8pm by switching all music off.

Skateboarding is a high risk sport. For more information about the type of accidents that may happen, and how to help keep yourself and your children safe, please click here: https://pitstone.co.uk/ppcinfo/sport-and-recreation/

A big thank you to all the residents that have already expressed an interest in upgrading to full fibre. Remember that you need to register by 30 April, as after this date the information will be submitted to Openreach.

The more residents that sign up, the more likely it is that Openreach will agree to install the upgrade. So, if you are interested in faster broadband, please follow the link above.

We are aware that the ball court has been vandalised over the weekend, and have reported this to Nicholas King Homes requesting that they urgently attend to make safe and carry out the necessary repairs.

Please take care in this area until they can attend site.

The parish council was delighted to appoint Amy Dragon to become a member of the council.

Councillor Dragon says “Myself and my partner moved to Pitstone just over a year and a half ago as we want to build a life here together surrounded by natural beauty. We feel lucky to have found such a beautiful place to live that has such great community spirit. I felt eager to be a part of the Parish Council so that I could help and support our community as I enjoy being involved in local projects, supporting local businesses to thrive and I feel passionate about protecting our special place that we live in and call home.”

Please make Councillor Dragon feel very welcome in her new role.

There are currently no vacancies for councillor seats on the parish council, but if like Amy, you would be interested in joining us, please let us know. There are often ways that you can get involved as a volunteer and we can let you know if another vacancy arises. Please note that being a parish councillor is a voluntary role.

We are delighted to announce that the skate park is now complete and open for use, almost 3 weeks ahead of schedule.

The skate park has been funded by a release of Section 106 sports and leisure funding, a community chest grant, a community leader grant, the parish council, some sponsorship from local companies and some fundraising by the users.

A skate park event is being organised, so look out for the details which will be announced in a couple of weeks.

We are absolutely delighted to be able to provide these facilities and are sure that they will be well utilised by all the skaters/riders from Pitstone as well as our surrounding villages.

Our skate park is located next to the recreation ground and Huck Teck play space:

https://goo.gl/maps/H6zL6hjyPfR2p2tL9

Google Pus Code: R9J4+73 Leighton Buzzard

The parish council offers grants to local community groups and local charities that specifically benefit Pitstone residents.  Applications are considered quarterly.   The next opportunity for grants to be considered is coming up next month on 28 April 2022.

Some of our most recent recipients include Windmill Pre School for outdoor play equipment, Pitstone Memorial Hall Charity to fix their roof and South Central Ambulance for a further dedicated kit for our Community First Responders.

Please see the grant policy on this web site (http://pitstone.co.uk/ppcinfo/grant-policy/ ) for further information or contact the parish clerk.

Applications must be received at least 10 days ahead of the meeting date so that the information can be circulated to all members ahead of the meeting and your application can be advertised on our agenda.

Very many congratulations to Emelia, Isabelle, Mathilda, Rue, Charlie and Taleah whose submissions into the Pitstone Summer
Photography Competition were selected as the winning entries.  Each child received a canvas of their winning photograph along with a certificate, and a further copy of the canvas has been mounted on the wall of the pavilion for all our hirers to enjoy.

Look out for details of this years’ competition which will be announced soon.

Residents may be aware that Nicholas King Homes PLC, the developers of the PDA Site (being marketed by them as their “Ravensmoor” development), have recently submitted second planning applications for the two small remaining pieces of the overall site.

They are new applications from Nicholas King Homes in addition to the ones they made last summer.  If you have views on these new applications, you should make them known in the normal way – please do not assume that any comments previously submitted will be considered by Buckinghamshire Council when determining these new applications.

These are the land parcels which the Pitstone Neighbourhood Plan, adopted in 2016 following a referendum in which 97% of the votes cast were in favour of the Plan, requires to be made available (subject to viability) for community purposes such as a pub/restaurant and nursery.

The planning application which has been submitted is for residential housing.

You can view the application and supporting documents on the Buckinghamshire Council website, by clicking here.  The reference numbers of the latest applications, which you will need to enter in order to find them, is 22/00452/APP for the restaurant/pub site and 22/00451/APP for the nursery site .  You can also submit comments online (and will need to indicate whether you support or oppose the application, or are neutral about it).

The application will be considered at the planning committee meeting convened for 7.30pm on Thursday 10 March 2022 at Pitstone Pavilion.  Residents who would like to express any views about the application can email the Parish Council in advance, or attend the meeting, or indeed both.

The Parish Council has no power to decide this application.  It is simply being consulted by the Local Planning Authority (Buckinghamshire Council), as part of its overall consideration of the application. 

We would therefore encourage any residents with views about the application to submit them to Buckinghamshire Council online so that they can be taken into account.  The deadline for comments is Thursday 11 March.  If doing so, please send a copy to the Parish Council at the same time.

We would also encourage any potential operators of community facilities, that might be interested in purchasing either land parcel, to make themselves known to the Parish Council.  We can therefore put them in touch with the developers / its agents to initiate discussions about a potential purchase.

18 February 2022

Link for Sunnyside: https://www.sunnysideruraltrust.org.uk/our-sites/northchurch/

Link for the RSPB: https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/how-you-can-help-birds/

We are aware that for both the February half term, and the Easter school holidays, that the Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire school holiday dates do not tally. We also know that children attend the cafe, that go to school in both counties.

We are therefore confirming that the youth cafe will reflect the Bucks holiday dates: ie in February the cafe will be open on 16 Feb (Herts school holiday) but there will be no cafe on 23 Feb (Bucks school holiday).

At Easter, the cafe will be open on 6 April (Herts school holiday) but there will be no cafe on either 13 April (both counties on holiday) or 20 April (Bucks school holiday).

Thank you.

The latest edition of Pitstone Parish Post is currently being distributed to all homes and business units within the Parish.

If you wish to read the online edition, you can find it here: https://pitstone.co.uk/ppcpublications/general/pitstone-parish-post-ppp/

The parish council information is replicated below (note that the briefing deadline was the end of December so some of this information is now be out of date):

Youth Café

Youth café re-started on Wednesday 8 September.  Until there are any changes in government guidelines, we have reverted to one session from 6.30-8.00pm each Wednesday during term time at Pitstone Pavilion.  £2 per child (school years 7+).  No need to book.  Just come along.  We are enjoying seeing everyone and look forward to welcoming more new faces as the term progresses.

We are also seeking new volunteers to supervise the young people as some of our long-standing team members have had to step down this term.   If you have time to join our friendly team, please do get in touch, so that we can continue to offer these vital youth services (please phone 01296 767261 or email parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk)

Pitstone Pavilion

Bookings continue to increase.  As well as junior and senior football, youth café and council meetings, you can now join dog training classes, yoga, Hartbeeps pre-school music classes, JD Ballers football or the >60s club.  We have also hosted some parties, committee meetings for village groups, taekwondo sessions, and we are a training centre for Bucks Council.  We were also pleased to support the Village Health Centre who operated their flu and covid vaccination clinics from the site.  Whilst evenings are very busy, we have some weekday, daytime availability at the moment, so if you run a pilates / yoga / craft etc class and would like to expand into a new venue, please do contact pavilion@pitstone.co.uk.

We continue to improve the venue and have been pleased to fit black out blinds within the community room,  increase the number of tables available, motorise the roller shutters to improve ease of access, increase the number of litter bins within the grounds and provide a new noticeboard in front of the premises for council & pavilion related materials.  A number of 12-month remedials have been undertaken and the final outside remedials will be completed in January.  

We are also delighted to welcome Dave Burton to the council team.  Dave has become the Facilities Manager for the pavilion and is now your first point of call for all things pavilion related.  You can reach Dave on pavilion@pitstone.co.uk or 07939 809281

Skate Park

After a few delays being able to complete their previous project, Bendcrete will commence work on the Pitstone Skate Park on 11 January and they hope to be complete by 6 April 2022, which will hopefully coincide with the better weather and lighter evenings so you can all maximise the benefit of the new facilities.

The site works will also complete the footpath links to the play space, Pitstone Memorial Hall, the multi-use games area and the Nicholas King Homes new housing development.

The works will require a temporary access track across the Recreation Ground to the construction site.   We apologise for any inconvenience caused during this time and encourage everyone to take extra care in this area.

Multi Use Games Area and replacement car park

Discussions are ongoing with Nicholas King Homes and Buckinghamshire Council regarding these facilities.   We will provide any further updates whenever we receive them.

Alphabet Snake and Hopscotch

We were pleased to gain permission from Buckinghamshire Council for the parish council to replace the thermoplastic graphics on their land outside of the Windsor Road play space (as BC were not going to update these and local parents said that they were well used).  The new graphics should last for many years and bring much enjoyment.

Commemorative benches

We’d like to thank the Morris family for their kind donation of two wooden picnic benches in memory of Jean and Mike Morris.  These are now located in the Hever Close play space, bringing this children’s area up to the same standard as our other play spaces and enabling local families to picnic whilst enjoying the amenities.

Christmas Lights

The Recreation Ground Christmas lights were relocated to the larger tree nearer the roundabout this year (as the tree near the entrance to the Memorial Hall had needed to be felled in the summer) and received very positive feedback from residents, along with the Christmas lights in the tree in front of the pavilion.

Children’s Photography Competition

Six young people had their photographs selected as winners in the photography competition.  Their photographs have been turned into canvas’s and displayed on the wall in the pavilion community room.  Each child will be presented with a copy of their canvas and a certificate at a celebratory event at the pavilion on 13 January 2022.   Look out for photographs after the event has taken place.  Thank you to everyone who entered, we really enjoyed seeing all your amazing photographs.

Fibre to Property Broadband

We are currently working with some local volunteers to set up a Community Fibre scheme with Openreach to bring superfast fibre to participating properties.  The new Nicholas King Homes and Bellway developments already include fibre to property, and Church Road/top of Vicarage Road have recently completed their Community Fibre scheme with Openreach.  With the scheme, the cost of installation is covered by pooling vouchers provided to each property.  Please look out for details very shortly.

Thank you to all our volunteers and staff

Did you know that more than 90 local people volunteer their services to the parish council, in more than 100 capacities, throughout the year.   These volunteers help run the youth café, drive for the car scheme, deliver and produce Pitstone Parish Post, run the allotment site, help with our leisure projects, participate in the sports & leisure committee, check streetlights and are helping with an initiative to bring fibre broadband to Pitstone.   Your parish councillors are also all volunteers.

We also have a number of part time staff who co-ordinate the car scheme, keep the noticeboards up-to-date, look after the pavilion, litter pick and check our playgrounds & other assets every week.

Covid permitting, the council hopes to host its annual volunteer thank you event on 13 Jan, to express how grateful we are for everyone’s support.  You are all amazing!

Voluntary PPP Editor Required

This quarterly magazine is pulled together by our volunteer Editor who coordinates all the adverts, editorials and news articles, undertakes all the artwork and sends the document off to the printers.  Sue Nicholls has sadly decided to step down, so we are on the look-out for a new Editor.  This is a voluntary role.  Technical skills required – MS Publisher & Word, Adobe Photoshop for photo editing & email.  Personal skills required – organised, literate, reliable, methodical, careful and happy to work as part of the team.  If you are the person with the drive to love & nurture PPP, please contact the parish clerk on 01296 767261 or parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk.

Volunteer of the Year

Thank you to everyone who took the time to submit their nominations for the Volunteer of the Year, generating a very high number of nominations this year.   We hope that we will be able to hold an annual assembly this year (covid permitting) and revert to announcing the winner at this event.   Watch this space.

Audit for 2020-21 Financial Year

All three levels of audit for the year ending 31-3-2021 have now been successfully passed.  Details remain available on our website for any interested parties.

Grants for local community groups

The council was pleased to support an initial request from the Party in the Park Committee for a grant towards helping the event get back off the ground after Covid.  They have a provisional date lined up for July 2022 on Pitstone Recreation Ground.  

We are also currently working with the Ivinghoe and Pitstone United Cricket Club regarding a double cricket practice net, available for all to use, to be located on the Recreation Ground.  This unit requires planning permission due to its cubic capacity, so we’ll update you all once planning has been granted.

If you belong to a local community group, that benefits the residents of Pitstone, please find full details of our grant scheme on www.pitstone.co.uk.

Business Park litter

There has been an increase in litter around the business park roads.  The carriageways & verges (not the individual units) remain under the responsibility of Taylor Wimpey and will eventually pass to Buckinghamshire Council.  Neither of these bodies carry out frequent litter picking.  Parish Council staff have been litter picking this area on a quarterly basis and this has now been increased to monthly in response to the uplift in rubbish volume.  We are also appealing to the business owners for their assistance with keeping the area clean.

Coronavirus regulations

Our meetings remain open to the public.  At the time of writing, the Government advice is to wear a face covering inside public buildings (eg the pavilion), especially whilst moving around.  For your safety, you are encouraged to use hand sanitiser and scan/provide details for track-and-trace.  Our room will be well ventilated, the tables/chairs will be cleaned before & after use, and seating will be arranged 1m apart.  Please check each agenda for any changes to guidance.

Devolved Services on behalf of Buckinghamshire Council

Many of you will be aware that the parish council accepted devolved services from Buckinghamshire Council to cut some of the grass verges, undertake some siding out of footpaths, clear rights of way and some other minor works.  BC extended the initial 4-year term for a further 2-years and have now extended the contracts by a further 12-months to cover 2022 whilst they are working on a new highways contract.   We have no visibility of what, if any, devolved services might be offered to the parishes after this date.  However, we will continue for 2022, which means that Pitstone can benefit from an increased level of service (BC only cut verges 4 times per year) and we will keep you updated regarding subsequent years as soon as we have any news from BC.

And an update on local matters within the control of Buckinghamshire Council:

Westfield Road / Castlemead

As previously reported, Buckinghamshire Council had hoped to adopt Westfield Road and the Castlemead residential roads (Phases I to IV) from Taylor Wimpey before the end of 2021 but the necessary remedial works, whilst started, had not been completed.  The latest revised date submitted by Taylor Wimpey, for all scheduled works to be complete, is 14 January 2022.  The parish council will continue to chase TW and BC until all the works have been fulfilled, including the installation of the traffic monitoring strips which will be undertaken by BC themselves and therefore follow after all the TW scheduled works.

Please note that this phase of adoptions does NOT include Phase V of Castlemead residential area nor the business park, both of which will follow at a later date.

Highways/paths updates

Several highways and path issues remain on the Buckinghamshire Council remedial list (including the resurfacing of Glebe Close) and will be actioned once their budget & scheduling permit.   The latest estimate provided by Buckinghamshire Council is 2022.    Any resident can report a defect with the highway (eg pothole) or footpath to Buckinghamshire Council via their website https://www.buckscc.gov.uk/services/transport-and-roads/report-a-highways-problem/ or via the Fix My Street website.

There are numerous street lighting and illuminated bollard issues along Marsworth Road which Buckinghamshire Council are working to resolve (no eta provided), and the replacement lighting/signage for the Westfield Road roundabout is now due to be undertaken on 17/1/22).  The cutting back of the vegetation along the footpath between Pitstone & Marsworth also remains outstanding from BC.

Bellway have now completed footpath improvements along Vicarage Road, stretching from their development down to the bus stop on Marsworth Road.   The stretch from Bellway up to Church Road, falls within the responsibility of BC themselves and we have no visibility of any implementation date as yet.

Buckinghamshire Council are undertaking a final phase of design work relating to safety scheme improvements by Brookmead School.  This should have been complete by the end of September but has been subject to delays.  Once we are in receipt of their final proposals, we will publish these and re-consult with the residents.

The Buckinghamshire Council Freight Strategy consultation concluded, and they report that there were a high level of submissions asking for the B440 to be included.  This has meant that the work needs to be re-scoped and re-consulted including reaching agreements with both Beds and Herts councils. 

At the time of writing, Buckinghamshire Council’s consultation about parking restrictions near the quarry has concluded.  They are yet to issue confirmation of the outcome however it is anticipated that the previous restrictions will remain in place.

Planning

There are several local planning applications for which we are still waiting for Buckinghamshire Council to provide a determination including the commercial areas within the Nicholas King Homes development (their application sought to convert these sites to residential use), the additional properties by The Haldi and the business park development off Westfield Road.   Some of these are now over 18 months old. 

The Planning Authority refused the application for business units & one retail unit next to Portland House, and the Cala Homes application for the site in Ivinghoe.

As always, you can find full details of all planning applications on the Buckinghamshire Council Planning Portal.

Transport for Bucks has now completed the repairs to the Westfield Road roundabout (17-1-22).

Taylor Wimpey (TW) has now completed the majority of the remedial works within the programmed residential phases and on Westfield Road. There are still a few street light repairs outstanding and some signage missing from the bottom end of Westfield Road, which TW have in hand. Buckinghamshire Council will commence proceedings to adopt the completed highways, which will take a few more weeks.

We hope you all had an enjoyable Christmas break.

Pitstone youth cafe will restart on Wed 5/1/22 at Pitstone Pavilion. 6.30pm-8pm. £2 per child (senior school aged children). No need to book.

To keep all our attendees and helpers safe, please remember to carry out all your lateral flow tests twice per week for school and only to attend if your last test was negative and you have no new symptoms. Please make use of the hand sanitisers when you arrive and wear your face covering when walking about indoors, especially in confined spaces such as the corridors and toilets. Activities will be arranged outdoors where possible, so please wear suitable clothing.

We look forward to welcoming you all back.

Bookings at the pavilion continue to increase.  As well as junior and senior football, youth café and council meetings, you can now join dog training classes, yoga, Hartbeeps pre-school music classes, JD Ballers football or the >60s club.  We have also hosted some parties, committee meetings for village groups, taekwondo sessions, and we are a training centre for Bucks Council.  We were also pleased to support the Village Health Centre who ran their flu and covid vaccination clinics from the site. Whilst evenings are very busy, we have some weekday, daytime availability at the moment, so if you run a pilates / yoga / craft etc class and would like to expand into a new venue, please do contact pavilion@pitstone.co.uk or parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk

We continue to improve the venue and have been pleased to fit black out blinds within the community room,  increase the number of tables available, motorise the roller shutters to improve ease of access, increase the number of litter bins within the grounds and provide a new noticeboard in front of the premises for council & pavilion related materials.  A number of 12-month remedials have been undertaken and the final outside remedials will be completed in January.  

We would like to thank the family of Mike and Jean Morris for the kind donation of memorial picnic benches. They have now been installed in the Hever Close play area, bringing this play space up to the same standard as all our other play grounds and meaning that young families can now picnic whilst at any of our parks.

10/1/22: Taylor Wimpey have advised Buckinghamshire Council that works are a few days behind schedule but they hope to be complete by Friday 14/1/22.

Taylor Wimpey’s contractors are behind schedule. Their original target to complete the remedial works to Westfield Road and the residential areas had been by 24/12/21. Earlier in their works schedule, they had hoped to complete ahead of schedule by 17/12/21. The works to the residential roads have yet to be completed, and therefore they have not yet moved out to undertake the remedial works to Westfield Road.

Taylor Wimpey has now arranged a new completion date (weather permitting) with Buckinghamshire Council of 10 January 2022. Taylor Wimpey’s contractors are now on Christmas shut down, and due to return from 4 January 2022.

(Note that the current phase of remedials/adoption does not include the final phase of the residential area of Castlemead, nor the business park, both of which will follow at a later date.)

We are pleased to let you know that work on our skate park is now confirmed to start on 11 January 2022. At the moment, everything should be complete by 6 April 2022.

The contractors will also join up all the sections of existing footpath providing pushchair / disabled access to the Memorial Hall, the new housing development and the play space.

We apologise to recreation ground users for the inevitable disruption at the site during the construction period. Please take extra care in this area.

As the tree at the entrance to Pitstone Memorial Hall sadly had to be removed by that Charity earlier in the year, the Christmas lights have been relocated closer to the roundabout this year. We hope that you all enjoy the new display at both the Recreation Ground and the Pavilion.

The parish council offers grants to local community groups and local charities that specifically benefit Pitstone residents.  Applications are considered quarterly.   The next opportunity for grants to be considered is coming up next month on 27 January 2022.

Some of our most recent recipients include Windmill Pre School for outdoor play equipment, Pitstone Memorial Hall Charity to fix their roof and South Central Ambulance for a further dedicated kit for our Community First Responders.

Please see the grant policy on this web site (http://pitstone.co.uk/ppcinfo/grant-policy/ ) for further information or contact the parish clerk.

Applications must be received at least 10 days ahead of the meeting date so that the information can be circulated to all members ahead of the meeting and your application can be advertised on our agenda.

As a further update on Westfield Road, Buckinghamshire Council confirm today (6/12/21) that the Taylor Wimpey works (within which they have included the Westfield Road amends) are due to be complete by 17/12/21.  TW apparently hope to move out to Westfield Road, from the estate roads, within the coming week.  They still plan to also undertake the road markings, weather permitting.  We will obviously continue to monitor the situation and liaise with BC during the forthcoming 2 weeks and beyond. 

November 16th every Tuesday until March 15th with 2 weeks off at Christmas  (🎄December 28th and January 4th🎄) 

£8 per week. Pay upfront for 10% off or pay in 2 instalments (by 16th November and by January 11th) 

Pitstone Pavilion 📍

Ages 4-7 – 4pm-4:45pm 

Ages 8-11 – 4:45pm- 5:30pm  

Please message me to secure your place as there are limited numbers available! Don’t miss out – 07928667099

At the parish council meeting on Thursday we were asked by a member of the public to provide an update on the Westfield Road amendments that Buckinghamshire Council agreed to action. 

You will recall that delivery of the works was divided between Buckinghamshire Council (BC) and Taylor Wimpey (TW).  BC installed the street light columns back in May.  TW then needed to complete the bulk of the remedials before BC will install the speed monitoring strips.  It is the works that are due to be delivered by TW that keep failing to materialise.

The latest information we have from Buckinghamshire Council is that Taylor Wimpey will undertake these works during the current 6-week remedial work period for all the works they are due to complete both within the esate and along Westfield Road.  All Castlemead residents have already been advised of this work, via a leaflet hand-delivered to all properties by TW.

We have not been posting updates during the intervening months, because every other date we have been given for BC/TW to rectify the issues has not been fulfilled and there seems little benefit to disappointing residents again and again by passing on information from BC/TW when we are not confident it will be accurate.   The works were incorrectly carried out by TW in June.  At the time we were advised they would be rectified immediately.  In July, they advised that they would be rectified shortly as needed to source additional materials.   In August, BC advised that the work would  be done by the end of the month.  By September, TW advised that the works were being incorporated into their remedial program and they were waiting for authorisation of the expenditure.  In October, we were advised that the works were approved and scheduled to start in mid-November.    The works are now in progress.  We chase BC reguarly, members are updated monthly and updates are posted within the parish council minutes.

The parish council therefore hopes that the works will be completed correctly, as stated, within the current remedial program.  In honesty, we remain doubtful.  Back in the spring, when the remedials were first agreed, BC had advised that the bulk of the work would be completely ‘shortly’ but that the painting/road markings would need to follow ‘in the summer’ as they could not be applied during winter weather.  We have been reminding BC of the ever decreasing window of seemingly appropriate weather, but suspect that as these were not applied at the start of their 6-week program, that at the conclusion of their current remedials TW will advise that they will be unable to carry out this aspect until the spring.   BC continue to advise that the works commissioned include the painting and all works should be completed.  We hope that our fears are unfounded.  BC will not attend and install the traffic monitoring strips until the TW works have been installed, so this aspect will not be completed by TW during their current works.   We will continue to liaise with BC as the TW works progress, and beyond, until all the works agreed by BC are delivered.

At least one of our Buckinghamshire Councillors always attends our meetings and we regularly discuss both Westfield Road and all the other outstanding BC matters.   The Wing & Ivinghoe Community Board also regularly provide updates from BC Development Management (the department in charge of liaising with TW) on this matter.  Representatives of the Parish Council attend all the Community Board meetings.  These meetings, and their minutes, are also open to the public should you wish to attend.  However, the Community Board also has no power to ensure delivery of these works, you will recall that they had agreed to look at the Westfield Road situation after all the current remedials were in place if further activity needed to be considered.  BC Development Management is itself beholden to TW for implementation, as no bond was taken from this developer by BC, and therefore BC can’t carry out the works itself & deduct the costs from the bond held.

We completely understand, and share, the frustration and disappointment felt by residents relating to the poor service delivery provided by BC and TW in relation to this matter and will continue to liaise with both BC and our Buckinghamshire Councillors until the matter is successfully resolved.

Recall training classes, 5 weeks from 10 January 2022

For more information contact Caroline on 07896835993 or carolineswaggytails@gmail.com

To find out more about Hartbeeps classes for your babies and toddlers, please click here: https://www.hartbeeps.com/

All your nominations for the Pitstone Volunteer of the Year 2022 need to be sent to the parish council by Friday 14 January 2022, so if you know of someone that is giving up their time and making a difference to the lives of the people in Pitstone, then please let us know.

A huge army of volunteers make our village special.  Did you know that volunteers manage the Memorial Hall; the Pitstone Heritage Park/museum; the Pitstone Windmill open days; are parish councillors; form the governing body of Brookmead school; deliver and edit Pitstone Parish Post; operate Pitstone Youth Café; form the management committee for Windmill pre-school; drive for the Community Car scheme; run mums & toddlers; run Brownies/Rainbows/Cubs/Scouts; are trustees for The Williamson Trust and Pitstone Town Lands Charity; run sporting groups such as I&PUCC, P&IUFC and P&IJFC; check street lights; provide ground-keeping on the cricket square; manage our allotment site; help at the Beacon Villages Community Library; organise community events and form the Friends of St Mary’s church in Pitstone. Just think what our village would be like without all these facilities!

As well as being an opportunity for you, and the parish council, to thank our Volunteer of the Year in public, the winner receives £50.00 and a framed certificate.

Previous winners include: Linda Howarth, Geoff Bratt, Gill Arney, Rob Spiller, Margaret Cole, Klaus Ginda, Dave Clifford, Mary Saintey, Joe Marling, Michelle Lee, David Hawkins, John Groom and Elaine Thorogood.

Please email or write to the parish clerk on: parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk or at

Pitstone Pavilion, Marsworth Road, Pitstone, Beds, LU7 9AP

providing the full name of the person you wish to nominate and the reasons why you think they deserve to win.

If you have some spare time and would like join this volunteer army and start enjoying the benefits that volunteering brings, please do get in touch or check out the list of opportunities published here: https://pitstone.co.uk/ppcinfo/vacancies-and-employment/

The parish council offers grants to local community groups and local charities that specifically benefit Pitstone residents.  Applications are considered quarterly.   The next opportunity for grants to be considered is coming up on 28 October 2021.

Some of our most recent recipients include Windmill Pre School for outdoor play equipment, Pitstone Memorial Hall Charity to fix their roof and South Central Ambulance for a further dedicated kit for our Community First Responders.

Please see the grant policy on this web site (http://pitstone.co.uk/ppcinfo/grant-policy/ ) for further information or contact the parish clerk.

Applications must be received at least 10 days ahead of the meeting date so that the information can be circulated to all members ahead of the meeting and your application can be advertised on our agenda.

Sad to see that one of the picnic tables installed in the recreation ground play space just last year has been badly burnt by someone using it as a base for a portable barbecue.

It is not appropriate, nor safe, to light barbecue’s anywhere in any of our playgrounds or open spaces, and least of all on wooden tables.

Please take care in this area until we can arrange a repair.

Are you the person we are looking for, to take a pride in and care for, our lovely new community building (Pitstone Pavilion)?

We currently have two vacancies:

Facilities Manager

We are seeking a Facilities Manager for the new Pitstone Pavilion. This will be a varied role encompassing everything to do with the pavilion including the maintenance, liaising with customers, promotional activities, policies, systems, overseeing contractors etc.

Estimated at 5+ hours per week, £12 per hour.  Must be able to work some weekend and evening time if required, and able to attend at short notice if hirers encounter a problem.  Must be flexible and able to adapt to meet the needs of our hirers (both those hiring the community room and those holding outdoor sporting events).

The applicant must be reasonably fit, self-motivated and trustworthy.   Must be happy to work alone at the site and be IT literate.

Cleaner

Estimated 2-4 hours per week (exact hours paid from worksheets submitted).  We can often be flexible with the work windows but the candidate must be able to work weekends as well as evenings/early mornings if necessary (based around our bookings).  Must be flexible and able to adapt to meet the needs of our hirers (both those hiring the community room and those holding outdoor sporting events).

Duties will include:

The applicant must be reasonably fit (as the cleaning work after muddy footballers can sometimes be strenuous), self-motivated and trustworthy.   Must be happy to work alone on site.   Experience of cleaning similar premises an advantage, but training can be provided.

Please find attached a full Job Description, Person Specification and Lone Working advice for both roles.

If either are the role for you, please apply in writing to: Mrs Laurie Eagling, Clerk to Pitstone Parish Council at email: parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk or via mail at Pitstone Pavilion, Marsworth Road, Pitstone, LU7 9AP, enclosing a curriculum vitae or providing written details about yourself, your experience and your suitability for the post.    

Some of the volunteers that have been with us for very many years (some since the cafe opened in 2011) have sadly had to step down this term, so we are desperately seeking local adults (must be over 18 years to comply with adult/child ratios, no upper age limit) that can help at the youth cafe on Wednesday evenings during term time.

There is a happy, relaxed atmosphere. You can join in with sports & games, do crafts or activities, or just chat/supervise.

If you can come each week, that is wonderful. If you prefer to come every other week, that is also fine.

Some more information about the youth cafe is available from the link below.

Please do consider coming forward to help ensure that our vital youth service can remain operating. Thank you.

https://pitstone.co.uk/ppcinfo/youth-cafe/

We are looking for a local volunteer with an eye for detail and layout & an ability to create an eye catching cover, to pull together our quarterly magazine – Pitstone Parish Post. You’ll collate articles, adverts and photographs, work up the artwork, proof read and send to the printers. Once published, you’ll upload the digital artwork to the website and ensure the hard copies are delivered to the Distribution Manager. You’ll become a valuable source of local information.

You’ll work alongside our Advertising Manager, Distribution Manager and the Parish Clerk.

Below we have listed some of the technical and personal skills we are seeking but if you don’t match completely please do still get in touch.

PPP is only produced quarterly, so this role would suit someone with a concentrated window of time available to volunteer once every 3 months.

If you would like to discuss this opportunity further, please contact either Laurie Eagling (Parish Clerk on 01296 767261 or parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk) or Sue Nicholls (current PPP Editor on 01296 661910 or pppeditor@pitstone.co.uk)

We look forward to hearing from you.

Technical Skills

MS Publisher. Use of Styles and paragraph formatting an advantage.

MS Word. Most articles arrive in this format. They might need reformatting for Publisher.

Photo-editing skills. There is the ability within Publisher to crop and edit photos but an understanding of the difference between screen and print requirements is needed. Adobe photoshop experience preferable. Also understanding of copyright imperative.

Email. Contributions arrive by email. There is an auto-reply set, which is managed using webmail. You’ll also send an email with the upcoming PPP deadline advice to a mailing group.

Personal skills

Organised: able to keep to a routine of sending deadline email, completing magazine, sending to printer, maintaining and sticking to the table of dates.

Literate: editing, precis, language, communication

Teamwork

Reliable

Methodical

Careful

Design: helpful

Following the consultation events with various sectors of the community, Bendcrete have considered all the feedback received and made the following revisions to the Pitstone skate park design:

• The street platform has moved sides
• The volcano has moved from the side of the jump box to after
• The grind rail has moved
• The euro gap has been removed and replaced with a stair set
• An additional quarter-pipe has been added after the jump line replacing the corner brick bank
• A rainbow end has been added to the descending rail

The design is still very inclusive and features elements for all skill levels, ages, wheel types and course styles, whilst maximising the number of users that can participate at any one time.

Updated images of the proposed skate park are shown below.

If anyone would like to submit any further thoughts/comments, please email them to parishclerk@pitstone.co.uk by 5pm on Thursday 26 August 2021.

The designs will then be submitted to RoSPA for a pre-installation inspection report. Assuming the report is favourable, Bendcrete will then be able to commence scheduling and production of the components etc.

Thank you to all those that have participated and helped to shape the skate park being proposed.